Little Constellations
by just call me Cappy
Summary: A series of KilixTauriel vignettes (in no particular chronological order).
1. INTRODUCTIONS

**1\. INTRODUCTIONS**

* * *

… And they talked and talked, late into the night until the torches burnt low, and the merriment overhead dwindled into quietness and stillness.

They talked in comfortable, rolling conversations; the sort where you never feel the time passing and never ran dry. It was quite some time before they realized – from the snores drifting from the neighbouring cells – that the night was indeed late, and it was time for her to leave.

"I must go," she whispered, as not to wake his sleeping neighbours.

A sad, longing look overcame his face, and in a quiet voice he asked, "Will I ever see you again?"

She smiled at this. "As Captain of the Guard," she said, "I expect you will see me quite often from now on." Though amused at the innocence of his question, she couldn't help but feel a sudden lightness; a burst of happiness in her heart, when she realized: _He wants to see me again._

She turned to go.

"Wait," he called out.

As she spun around to face him again, he asked quickly, "What is your name?"

She hesitated. She had never introduced herself to a Dwarf before, and wondered briefly at the proper etiquette. She bowed her head shyly. "My name is Tauriel, Master Dwarf."

 _Tauriel._ She saw delight fill his face as he mouthed her name silently, practicing pronouncing it on his tongue. He looked up at her and said, "My name is Kíli."

 _Kíli._ It was a pleasant name – it sounded, to her ears, like the whistle of an arrow as it flies from the bow, and sings through the wind. It brought to mind swiftness and courage and sunlight glinting off bright metal. _Kíli._

He smiled, and his voice grew quiet. "Goodnight, Tauriel."

She met his bright eyes in the firelight; a strange fluttering overtaking her heart at the sound of her name being called in his voice for the first time.

"Goodnight, Kíli."


	2. ARCHERY MATCH

**2\. ARCHERY MATCH**

* * *

Fíli didn't know who it was who threw down the challenge first – but he suddenly found himself, one sunny, spring afternoon at the edge of a meadow, overseeing an archery match between a Dwarf and an Elf.

He made himself comfortable, sitting atop a fallen log, smoking idly on his pipe as Tauriel and Kíli trained their arrows at a single target several hundred paces away. In the distance, it looked small even to him.

"Are you sure you can manage?" Tauriel called teasingly, as she threw a glance towards Kíli. "Would you like me to fetch you a spyglass?"

"Don't worry about me," Kíli laughed challengingly back. "Just warning you – don't expect me to go easy on you, just because you may have saved my life a few times."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Master Dwarf."

As they grinned at each other, Fíli sighed and said, "Anytime now, lads."

Tauriel and Kíli's gazes snapped back to the target, their bodies rigid with tensed muscle.

Fíli held up his arm high in the air. With a swift cutting motion, he cried, " _Aaaand_ – _LOOSE!_ " and two arrows went whistling through the air, towards the distant target. There was a muffled, _thunk!_ as both arrows struck the target at the same time.

Fíli went to fetch the arrows – and came back, meeting their expectant gazes with an expression of thorough bemusement.

"A draw," he announced. He held up the arrows. "Both struck the exact same point of the bullseye."

Kíli groaned and Tauriel shook her head silently. They both exchanged determined glares, the challenge still lingering heavy in the air. It wasn't a moment later that the both had a second arrow drawn.

Not for the last time, Fíli sighed. "Alright –" he said, "whenever you're ready. Nock. Draw. And –"

Just as he was about to cry the last command, Kíli piqued up, "Tauriel – _I love you_."

"– _LOOSE!"_

Tauriel made a small, muffled cry as she sucked in a sudden breath, and her arrow went soaring in the completely wrong direction, making a graceful, elegant arch right over the target.

Meanwhile, Kíli's arrow landed with an effortless _thunk!_ in the middle of the bullseye.

Tauriel glared at Kíli. Her eyes were narrowed and her jaw was clenched, while a smooth crimson blush spread out across her cheeks. Kíli grinned broadly at her – but before he could manage a single word, Tauriel muttered a furious, "Well – _I love you, too!_ " before storming away, taking her bow with her.

Fíli shook his head. _So much for playing fair_ , he thought. He turned to his brother, a stern reprimand on his lips, but stopped when he saw that Kíli had fallen to his knees, shoulders shaking in silent laughter – and his face in his hands as he tried, in vain, to hide his own blush spreading violently from his cheeks to the tips of his ears.


End file.
